The Clan of the Cave Bear

Ayla gradually becomes less of a novelty among the many assembled clans. Attention shifts instead to hunting, foraging, firewood collection, and the logistics of so many people living together in one place. Brun uses his leadership skills to negotiate with other clan leaders and manage the inevitable disputes.

When the competitions conclude, with Brun’s Clan having performed well, preparations begin for the central event: the bear ceremony. The morning of the ritual, the Mog-urs begin their prayers to Ursus. The captive cave bear, purposely kept hungry and agitated, is brought into the ritual. Three of the young men, Broud, Gorn, and Voord, climb the enclosure to face it. In the struggle, the hunters force a log into the bear’s mouth to hinder it, but Gorn is killed in the process. The hunters’ spears eventually bring the bear down. Creb comforts Gorn’s grieving mate, telling her that Ursus chose Gorn to accompany him to the spirit world. The bear’s blood is shared among the clans, its body is prepared for the feast, and its skin is mounted outside the cave to “witness” the celebrations.

The Mog-urs meet to decide whether Ayla may prepare the sacred ritual drink in Iza’s place. At first, there is strong opposition, but Creb argues that Ayla bears the totem scars of the cave lion and that Iza entrusted her with the sacred red pouch of roots. One by one, the other Mog-urs give their approval. The decision is made: Ayla will prepare the ritual drink. Creb hurries to tell her, and Ayla rushes to cleanse herself in the icy river and gather the necessary plants. Terrified she might fail, she follows the steps Iza taught her and prepares herself for the ceremony.

That night, the ceremonies begin with drumming, chanting, and ritual dances. When Creb gives the signal, Ayla steps forward. Naked and painted, she chews and spits the roots into a sacred bowl, creating the white liquid of the ritual drink. She distributes it as instructed, though she accidentally prepares too much. Afterwards, while the women dance in a frenzied rhythm, Ayla drinks the leftover potion herself. The drug overwhelms her, sending her stumbling deep into the caves, where she inadvertently comes upon the Mog-urs conducting their most secret and sacred rite. Horrified, she watches them consume the brain of the fallen hunter Gorn to bind his courage to the entire Clan.

The sight drives her into a psychic void. Creb senses her presence and saves her by forming a mental link with her. Through the bond, Ayla experiences the ancient racial memories of the Clan and glimpses humanity’s future. Creb, in turn, sees that the future isn’t of the Clan, but from a different, newer branch of people. Overwhelmed, Creb forces her away, commanding her to leave before she is discovered. Though Creb knows Ayla committed the greatest transgression imaginable by witnessing the secret rites, he cannot bring himself to condemn her. Ayla flees back to the women, collapsing into an exhausted sleep beside Uba as dawn breaks.

After the Clan Gathering, Goov notes how weary Creb appears, and the Mog-ur himself reflects that his time is nearing its end. Meanwhile, Ayla wakes the morning after the rituals in a daze and is distraught when she discovers that the ceremonial bowl has broken. For Creb, it signifies the end of an era and the ancient traditions. He warns Ayla to never mention what she saw again.

On the journey home, Creb lags behind, weakened by age and sorrow. Brun sends Ayla back to help him. Though Creb initially resists her care, he eventually allows her to aid him again.

When the Clan finally returns to their cave, they are met with the news that Dorv died during their absence, and Iza’s health is failing. Ayla rushes to her, horrified by how frail the woman has become. Despite her desperate efforts, nothing Ayla does helps.

In her final moments, Iza tells Ayla that she cannot stay with the Clan once Broud becomes leader, as he will destroy her. Instead, she tells her to seek out her own people, the Others. With Ayla and Uba at her side, Iza dies. Creb joins them, and the trio grieve the loss.

After Iza’s death, Ayla withdraws from Durc, unable to nurse or care for him, leaving Creb to bring the hungry baby to other women. Oga, who always has abundant milk, takes him in often. Creb also prepares Iza’s body for burial, coating it with red ochre and cave bear fat, and Ayla gathers armfuls of flowers to lay in her grave. She also places the broken ceremonial bowl alongside her, believing Iza should take it with her.

A great funeral feast is held. Ayla is consumed with grief and guilt for leaving Iza to go to the Gathering, and she flees. She eventually collapses on the bluff above the cave. Brun retrieves her, but by then her milk has dried up, and she can no longer feed Durc at all. Broud forbids Oga to nurse him, but Oga refuses to obey, telling Broud it’s her right as a woman to nurse any baby she chooses. Broud, furious, hits her, then storms to Brun demanding action. Brun, however, supports Oga and reminds Broud that Durc is Clan and must be cared for.

Creb, meanwhile, blames himself for Durc’s loss of Ayla’s milk, falling into despair over both Iza’s death and his people’s decline. Ayla, too, continues to struggle with grief, spending long hours alone, practicing with her sling, and distancing herself from others.

One day, while watching Durc try to walk, Creb notices the blend of Ayla’s features and those of the Clan in the boy. For the first time, he realizes Durc is a mixture of both Clan and Other.

Uba undergoes her first woman’s trial. Though frightened, she follows Ayla’s advice and spends the required days of isolation in a small cave, with Ayla bringing her food and comfort. Soon after, Uba is formally mated to Vorn in a ritual conducted by Creb and Goov, while Ona is mated to Borg. Creb’s hearth is left with only him, Ayla, and Durc. Ayla and Creb both feel the absence of Uba, as their own relationship remains strained.

Ayla continues to care for Durc and spends her time hunting and gathering. Though others view Durc as a child of the Clan, he senses that his mother is different from the others. Meanwhile, Ayla remembers Iza’s final words, urging her to find the Others. The thought of what is coming under Broud’s eventual leadership scares her, but she cannot imagine abandoning Durc.

A visitor named Vond arrives from one of the other clans, seeking Ayla’s healing knowledge to help his sick mother. Brun considers her future again, knowing something will have to be done about her eventually. However, he decides to delay the decision and leave the matter to Broud once he becomes leader, reasoning that he has matured enough to see past his resentment.

Later, Uba becomes pregnant, only for her joy to turn to anguish when she stops feeling movement. Despite Ayla’s efforts with medicines, the pregnancy fails. With Ovra’s help, Ayla induces labor, only to learn that the baby was actually a pair of malformed twins who had not properly separated. To protect Uba, Ayla and Ovra conceal the truth from the rest of the Clan by telling them it was a normal stillborn son. Ayla then takes the wrapped remains away to leave them for scavengers so that no evidence remains.

Ayla comforts Uba and cares for Durc, but her anxiety grows as the Clan prepares for the coming leadership and Mog-ur succession ceremonies. That night, she has a nightmare, leading to a reconciliation with Creb.

The ceremonies of succession take place, with Creb giving a final performance as Mog-ur before handing his role to Goov. Brun then formally steps down as leader, and Broud assumes command. The feast is subdued, but Ayla continues to feel restless and fearful.

The next morning, Broud announces his decisions as leader. He names Vorn as his second-in-command, declares he will take Ayla as his second mate, and announces that Durc will be separated from her to live with Vorn and Uba. Broud then humiliates her further by also declaring that Creb must give up his hearth to Goov. Ayla, unable to stay silent, angrily confronts Broud, who in turn demands that Goov curse Ayla with death.

The argument is interrupted by a massive earthquake. Everyone flees outside as the cave collapses. Ayla, however, realizes that Creb is still inside and rushes back, only to find him crushed beneath a fallen boulder near Iza’s burial cairn. She performs the burial gestures over him herself.

When she emerges to tell the Clan what happened, Broud, frightened by the earthquake and desperate to deflect blame, insists Ayla caused it and demands again that she be cursed. Goov reluctantly performs the death curse. Ayla accepts her fate, but pleads with Brun to protect Durc after she’s gone. Though he cannot openly defy Broud, he promises to care for the boy.

Ayla then prepares to leave, packing supplies and her belongings. Durc begs to go with her, but she refuses, entrusting him instead to Uba. Before leaving, she confronts Broud, declaring that though he has cursed her, he cannot make her die. Brun, in front of the Clan, openly admits that Ayla has shown more courage than Broud. As Ayla finally leaves, the last thing she hears is Durc crying out for her.